Summer Game 2020: Away We GO!

Fri, 06/12/2020 - 9:59am by nicole

What a wild year. What a time to be alive! Thank goodness, summer's here. The sun is shining, the bugs are buggin', and that means the Summer Game is ON!

And it's not just ANY Summer Game. 2020 marks our TENTH YEAR of bringing you codes, badges, and MIND-BENDING PUZZLES of all kinds! 

Code-hunting and badge exploring has been tweaked to make it easier for players to keep a VERY fond distance, but there will still be TONS to do to earn yourself Summer Game points! 

Here are some ways to start playing the Summer Game RIGHT NOW:

-Start at the start of all Summer Game fun with our new-and-improved GETTING STARTED series! Earn NEW badges like the nearly-unpronouncable Points-o-Matic-o-Rama Badge.

-Go to each AADL location and collect a code! All FIVE branches have 1 big code on the banner outside the building! You'll only need this ONE code to get your Branch Explorer Badge this year, making it the EASIEST BRANCH EXPLORER BADGE IN SUMMER GAME HISTORY!

-Play any or all Points-o-Matic modes! Comb through catalog reviews in Review Reviewer; sort scattered series with the Series Serializer; or name some newspapers in News Sprinter! This truly ENDLESS fun is perfect for those who like to earn their points in WILDLY SMALL DOSES!

-Visit the AADL catalog to rate and review some things you like! You can write up to 10 reviews and rate up to 100 items each day!

-Read books, watch movies, listen to music, or download something cool from the catalog! Log your items for up to 50 points per day!

-Watch AADL TV to enjoy some socially-distant entertainment, and be on the lookout for ONLINE EVENT codes!

-Clear your schedule for a BADGE DROP at noon today, filled with BADGES (duh) and clues and hidden catalog codes!

Getting Started Badge Series

On July 7th you'll be able to spend your points on NEW 2020 PRIZES in our Summer Game Shop! Teens and kids who play the Summer Reading Game can also pick up their FREE PRIZE BOOKS when the shop opens. The Shop will be making some changes to PRIZES and PRIZE PICK-UP, so keep your eyes out for more info!

Our TENTH YEAR is just getting started, and we've got plenty more in store! So what are you waiting for??

Ready? Set?

GO!!!

Summer Game 2020!

Fri, 06/12/2020 - 8:40am by richretyi

The Summer Game starts at 9:59am June 12 and runs all summer long until August 30! Get ready for another summer of reading, riddles, codes, and prizes. Stay tuned for more teasers on the upcoming Summer Game.

What are you waiting for? GET STARTED NOW!

Introducing Points-O-Matic: News Sprinter!

Fri, 05/01/2020 - 12:01pm by andrewjmac

What do you do when you are sitting on a HUGE pile of scanned microfilm images that need names to make them usable?  If you are AADL, you turn to the gamers!  A while ago, AADL undertook the task of scanning EVERY SINGLE ROLL of Ann Arbor newspaper microfilm.  We've been turning those scans into page images that we will use for all sorts of things, including making browsing the microfilm TONS faster and eventually even creating a fully-searchable index of EVERY Ann Arbor newspaper.  But first we need to know what all the images are, and YOU can help us make that happen!  So welcome to...

NEWS SPRINTER!  In this Points-O-Matic mode, you will be shown the top part of a newspaper page.  All you need to do is look for some information and enter it.  And because this will help us so much, every page you enter info for on News Sprinter is worth 6 Points-O-Matic points AND 6 Summer Game points!

Here's what we are looking for:

It's the LAST BUMMER GAME DROP!

Fri, 05/01/2020 - 12:00pm by eli

OK, y'all, today is the last drop of new Bummer Game Badges! It's been 47 days and 141 badges, and it's time for your humble badgesmiths to turn their attention to the impending SUMMER GAME 2020! We've got a lot of SOCIALLY DISTANT plans cooking to make Summer Game 2020 as much fun as it possibly can be, considering whatever the circumstances are once we get to summer! What will those circumstances be? WHO KNOWS! But will you have weekly badge drops, beaucoup points opportunities, and the long-awaited return of the SUMMER GAME SHOP?!?

YOU BETCHA!

All 141 Bummer Game badges will remain earnable all the way until the end of August, so if you haven't earned them all yet, you've got plenty of time to do it! AND in addition to today's badges about May Day, a Creative Contest from our friends at Ann Arbor Summer Festival, and a whirlwind tour of AADL.TV.... 

We've also got a BRAND-NEW POINTS-O-MATIC MODE! So, after you finish today's badges, check out NEWS SPRINTER, an all-new POINT MACHINE that will help you help us organize HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of images of newspapers on microfilm! This new mode is FUN, FAST, and SUPER USEFUL to AADL's Archives Team, so if you do a good job, you can rack up 6 Points-O-Matic points AND 6 Summer Game 2020 points for every page of the Newspaper you help us to organize! Find out more here and GET SPRINTING!

So, with that, thanks to all of you for coming with us on this whirlwind, spur-of-the-moment BUMMER GAME journey... we'll be working hard to take as much BUMMER out of SUMMER as we possibly can, considering the circumstances! So, stay tuned, and as always....

THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 47 ~The Last Bummer Game Badge Drop~

BUMMER GAME Day 46: BREAKFAST HART PLACES

Thu, 04/30/2020 - 12:00pm by nicole

Enjoy this second-to-last batch of badges about HARTS, EGGS, and LOCAL MUSEUMS! These are some of the last Bummer Game badges before we pack up our puns (for a bit) and get ready for SUMMER GAME 2020! Tomorrow will be the final Bummer Game Badge Drop, but you can still play and earn Bummer Game badges until August 31st. As always, THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 46:

BUMMER GAME Day 45: MINDING THEIR DERBY BOT

Wed, 04/29/2020 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

Our Bummer Game drops are coming to a close soon (though badges will stay playable through August 31) and we are going FULL STEAM AHEAD until FRIDAY! Today we have a BOT BOTTING, BEES BUZZING, and HORSES RACING! Have fun and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 45:

BUMMER GAME Day 44: GOREY NARWHAL WORLD

Tue, 04/28/2020 - 12:00pm by nicole

We're back! Today's badges are full of GOREY STORIES, FIGHTIN' FISH, and a search for the world's most  V.I.L.E. THIEF! This Friday will be the LAST Bummer Game Badge Drop, but you can still earn Bummer Game badges until August 31st. THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 44:

BUMMER GAME Day 43: STAR SIGHT BOOKS

Mon, 04/27/2020 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

Nothing to break the Monday blues like a NOON BADGE DROP! We've got STAR FOX, WRITING, and CAMPING! Have fun and REMEMBER that THIS Friday, May 1st, will be the LAST Bummer Game Badge drop as we prepare for... SUMMER GAME 2020! But don't worry, you'll be able to play Bummer Game Badges along with Summer Game Badges all summer long!  THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 43

BUMMER GAME Day 42: OLD AMALGAMES MAKER

Sun, 04/26/2020 - 12:00pm by nicole

Today's badges are a mash-up of HERO MASKS, WORD GAMES, and some REALLY OLD HOUSES!  Remember, SUMMER IS COMING, so Friday May 1st will be the LAST Bummer Game Badge drop. All badges will remain earnable through August 31st. THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 42

BUMMER GAME Day 41: BEHIND THE BIRD'S OKRA

Sat, 04/25/2020 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

It's the WEEKEND and that means...BADGES! Birds, Pennies, and Okra GALORE! 

ALSO, in case you missed it: Friday May 1st will be the LAST Bummer Game Badge drop as your humble badge-smiths turn their efforts to SUMMER GAME 2020!

All Bummer Game Badges will remain earnable through the end of Summer Game 2020 on August 31st. Stay tuned for Summer Game 2020 and THANKS FOR PLAYING!

BUMMER GAME Day 41